Past Event

The fundraiser is open to everyone, with attendees asked to bring their favorite potluck dish and a $25 suggested donation for adults and a $15 suggested donation for students. Children younger than 18 years old are free.

The keynote speaker for the fundraiser will be Colorado House Speaker Mark Ferrandino. Ferrandino was scheduled to highlight last year’s event but was unable to make it because of a snowstorm that weekend.

Routt County Democratic Party Chairwoman Catherine Carson said Ferrandino will give Saturday’s crowd an update about how the legislative session has progressed and the three main goals for the session: the economy, education and recovery from flooding.

Carson said she also got news that former state Sen. Abel Tapia will be there. Tapia recently declared his intent to challenge U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, for the 3rd Congressional District seat in November.

Local Colorado Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush, D-Steamboat Springs, also will be at the event.

Carson said Mitsch Bush is one of the hardest-working representatives in the state and covers a lot of miles traveling between the capital and her constituents in House District 26.

The slate of Democratic candidates for local office will be there Saturday to meet attendees, as will Jennifer Koch, the executive director of the state Democratic Party.

Routt County Commissioner Doug Monger will head up a live auction, with items such as an airplane ride above the Yampa Valley, work by local artists and a private concert by John Sant’Ambrogio.

Carson said there still are opportunities to volunteer for the zero-waste event. Those who are interested in volunteering can email Jack Dysart at jldysart1@gmail.com. More information also is available by calling 970-870-3362.

My guess is that all of you support Citizens United and the recent ruling by the Republican five. The five recognized that the Republicans need endless amounts of money and their ruling gives it to them.

When they ruled that Obamacare was "Constitutional" weren't you guys happily defending them and saying how the Supreme Court basically decides what's "Constitutional" and that's that?? That we should accept their rulings and move on??

As a matter of law, I don't see how the Supreme Court could have ruled otherwise on Citizens United without greatly removing everyone's free speech rights. The Citizens United group first complained about Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 being an illegal campaign spending since it was critical of Bush and aired during the 2004 election season. The FEC ruled against them saying that was a movie. So the Citizen United group made an anti-Hillary film in 2008 and were ruled by the FEC to have violated campaign finance laws.

That left the FEC in a position of saying what is free speech vs what is a campaign contribution. That should have been viewed by everyone as intolerable.

The biggest issue of political advocacy groups is that corporate law allows the financial backers to be anonymous. There is no inherent right for owners of corporations to be able to hide their identity, but that is allowed under corporate law. If you don't like big money political action groups with secret financial backers then ask DMB and Colorado House Speaker Mark Ferrandino why the major financial backers of a corporation do not have to be disclosed under Colorado law.

And when Democrats put such emphasis on money and state they need to spend as much as Republicans to win then it just demonstrates how those have gone wrong. Jerry Brown won in 2010 by 13% despite being outspent 5 to 1 and by $140M dollars. Democrats should learn again to run campaigns via talking to the press and other free media.

Bill and Pat,
Just curious what you would call the union contributions to the democrats over the years. Just a "smidgen".
Koch Industries Ranks #59 in Political Donations from 1989-2014 Behind 18 Different Unions. Combined the 18 labor unions donated more than $35 for every $1 donated by Koch Industries, $640 million vs. $18 million.

These figures are somewhat disingenuous and are comparing apples to oranges. Labor unions, whether one agrees with them or not, are considered the agents and representatives of the millions of people who belong to them, they are not individual stakeholders. Koch Industries represent a very small number of individuals. Both are competing for political power that will help their membership (family) but looking at total dollars without looking at the numbers of people involved isn't logical or reasonable. How many people are members of those 18 different unions? Divide the totals by those they represent to get a more accurate, per capita figure for political donations.

Tom Steyer has pledged $100 million to Dems candidates that toe the line on global warming/climate change or whatever we are calling it these days.
"The Kochs are far richer, but Tom Steyer’s $100 million pledge has them looking like cheapskates in the political field."
Are Tom Steyer's contributions acceptable to you?

Nice spin on the unions by the way. At least Koch's are contributing their own money by choice. Gee I wonder if there are any union members whose union dues were contributed to causes they disagreed with, without their approval
"◦CNN exit polls showed that 38 percent of union members voted for President Bush in the 2004 election, but more than 95 percent of union funds went to support Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry."

Judy, doesn't it seem like if 38% voted for Bush then 38% of the union contributions should go to Bush?

Personally I think all campaign contributions should be limited, I don't have a dog in this fight. We are never out of election cycles anymore because of vested interests of politicians and contributors on all sides of of the political spectrum. I would rather vote on issues and ability than advertising campaigns, but all limits to this endless campaigning seem to fail miserably. That being said, there still is a difference, regardless of spin, that

Judy,
Looks like your reply got cut off. thanks for replying. I believe you have the smarts to vote on issues and not campaign spin as do I. Agree on never out of election cycles. Disgusting in my view, but it is what it is. I don't watch much TV so am able to miss most of the crud. Too much to do outdoors, right.

Sorry, about the abrupt end I don't generally post. I still think you cannot mathematically use the 35 to 1 ratio comparing individual donors (Koch brothers) with a group that even if only 62% (according to your figures) of their memberships still represents a large population. Even if you used the 18 largest unions (as individual donors) the number would be closer to 2 to 1.

Hey Judy,
We can use any numbers we want. The point is the left is continually railing against the Koch Brothers while staying silent on the union contributions and who controls where they go and staying silent on the Steyer's, Soros's etc. on the left. Seems hypocritical to me. Lefty big business and union contributers good, right big business contributers bad.

I disagree with allowing any PAC, Union, or any large donors influence and access by means of financial support. I would support an amendment to the constitution to reform campaign finance to level the playing field for everyone.

The trouble with any constitutional amendment is how to decide if a movie like Fahrenheit 911 is too political. The proposed amendments that I've seen would basically place everyone's free speech during election season.under the discretion of a government agency.

You want to write a book? If it can be viewed as political then don't release during a campaign, BTW, the 2016 presidential campaign has already started so it is now too late to write a book about Hillary or Christie if there was such an amendment.

Can't wait. 2016 - Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush. We have circled around and become England with a hereditary monarchy. Washington, Adams, Jefferson and others must be weeping. The sacrifices they made. UGH!

Jim,
The man who would not be king.On May 22, 1782, one of Washington’s officers, Colonel Lewis Nicola wrote to him that the ineffectiveness of the Congress during the war had demonstrated the inadequacy of republican government. Nicola proposed that Washington become King of the United States.

Yes I did say Adams. John Adams. Maybe you have but if not I highly recommend John Adams by David McCullough
John Adams on aristocracy from his correspondences with Thomas Jefferson. There is a good bar bet regarding the deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
"You suppose a difference of Opinion between You and me, on the Subject of Aristocracy. I can find none. I dislike and detest hereditary honours, Offices Emoluments established by Law. So do you. I am for ex[c]luding legal hereditary distinctions from the U.S. as long as possible. So are you. I only say that Mankind have not yet discovered any remedy against irresistable Corruption in Elections to Offices of great Power and Profit, but making them hereditary."
link - http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch15s62.html

Bill I have no use for the Republican party and even less for the Democratic party. I have never given a penny to any politician and will proudly go to my grave with that record intact. My donations go to Boys Town, Angel Tree, Christian Heritage School, my local church, and other Christian based organizations that provide hope for this life and the next life. Hillary Clinton will be our next president and she will make us long for the good old days of Obomination.

If you folks think politicians won't find a way around ANY rule you put in place you are every bit the fools I take you for... These people circumvent rules AS A WAY OF LIFE.

You already HAVE a method of controlling your government; it's called "Elections". You can't control your government because you can not and will not control YOURSELVES.

What you are basically admitting here is that you know that most Americans (and that includes yourselves) are weak-minded and, therefore, easily influenced by talking heads on TV. I agree; that's why the republic is doomed.

Politically correct liberals control this country and probably will until it collapses. There needs to be a small voice still speaking to show them the have not complete destroyed dissent. I agree that it takes no courage to post here when you are retired. The only thing I have to fear is the Democrats taking my social security and giving it to foreign countries, welfare recipients, and illegal aliens. On the flip side, the Republicans will take my social security and give it to foreign countries and rich people. Either way, myself and millions of Americans that worked for a living for 51 years and gave our money to the government for 51 years are going to get reamed unless we die first.

I just meant that people get retribution for expressing their opinions here. There were several people who stopped posting here when the paper stopped annonymity. They cited high liklyhood of retribution as their reason for standing down.